Love Me As I Fix Myself
by CrazyCondoms
Summary: LevixOC. The OC in this story is going to be Eren's fraternal twin sister. Rated M for depression, violence, future lemons, etc. I'm not that good at summaries, so I apologize for that in advance. And I'm still kind of figuring out where I want this story to go so yeah.
1. Chapter 1

It is six fifty two in the morning when my alarm goes off. I force my eyes open and let out a low growl. Today is my first day going back to school, after three months of freedom, where I generally just slept and occasionally came downstairs to eat and or watch television.

But now bliss is over, and I have to go to my junior year in high school. Great.

I swing my legs out of bed and trudge over to the vanity in the corner of my room, snagging a brush and yawning on the way. I sit on the little chair placed in front of the desk and stare in the mirror as I run the bristles through my long platinum blond hair. I stare at the bright blue- green eyes, identical to my twin brother's, and the long, thin nose resting in the middle of my face, lightly dusted in freckles. My mouth is wide, and it turns down naturally at the edges, creating a permanent scowl. My skin is light ivory color. And, overall, I just have a very bored expression on my face.

Soon I'm finished. I put a light coat of mascara on before getting dressed. Flattering blue skinny jeans that accentuate my figure, and a simple white t-shirt, paired with my black converse. Then I slide into my backpack and travel noisily out of my bedroom and down the stairs to the livingroom. I manage to smack my hip on the railing on my way down, and a low hiss of pain escapes my lips.

"What a nice way to start out the day," my brother's voice sounds from behind me.

"Shut up, Eren," I say grumpily, my German accent much more apparent than his. Then I round the corner and step into the kitchen. Eren follows suit, grabbing a banana from the counter and sticking his tongue out at me. I take in his features subconsciously. My fraternal twin looks nothing like me, other than the dimples, straight across teeth, and eyes. He is tan and has dark hair, like the rest of my family.

"Good morning to you too, by the way, Ada," Eren says with a mouth full of banana. I grimace and throw a piece of cereal at him. He grins.

Soon, two slow pairs of footsteps sounding behind Eren notify my brother and I that we've woken our parents with our bickering.

"Good morning," we say in unison when they step in the kitchen. Dad yawns, mom smiles warmly at us, pulling Eren into a hug and standing on her tippy toes to place her lips on his forehead.

I zone out as the three of them engage in an unimportant conversation about school. Eren gets another banana and a bowl of cereal. He eats, I sit in a seat at the counter and wait for him. Soon he chugs the leftover milk in the bowl, and we are heading out of the door. Sentiments between us and our parents are exchanged, and then we are walking up the street to our school, Trost High School. And it is a good thing it is right up the street, because neither of us have our liscences yet.

"So, are you nervous?" Eren asks.

I shrug and kick a small rock on the sidewalk, sending it flying into the road. Moments of silence pass. We turn a corner and the high school is in view. And then I reply with words.

"Why would I be? It's just a building full of bitches and brats. We've been to high school before," I say.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, but still," Eren says.

"You shouldn't have anything to worry about, Eren," I add, "you're popular at our school, and you're smart. Stop stressing over nothing."

Eren grins, and another silence follows. But it isn't awkward. Soon we are pushing through the glass doors at the front of our school. There are already students swarming everywhere, and it's loud, which makes my natural scowl deepen significantly. Eren notices this and pulls me to the side.

"What's your schedule?" he asks.

I pull it from a pocket in my backpack and unfold it.

"My first period is math with Mr. Meck," I say, sighing.

"I've got P.E," Eren says. The classes are on opposite sides of the school.

We embrace and then I'm watching him walk away. I notice his best friend, Mikasa Ackerman meet up with him. She links their arms and they continue up the hall, causing a rare smile to flash on my lips. And I'm thinking 'I can't wait for him to stop being a pussy and ask her out.'

I turn and walk to room 46, groaning internally. Math is my most hated subject.


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm putting Levi in this chapter, so yay. Also I apologize if you get bothered by how sidetracked I can and will probably get, but I'm just kind of trying to put some character/story development in as the story continues, especially in the first few chapters. And I do kind of want this to be a slow progressing story, so I hope you guys don't mind.**

 **Enjoy. :)**

* * *

Mr. Meck's classroom is small and has an odd shape to it. It's like a big square attached to a smaller square. And said teacher is everyone's favorite, so he has to cram as many students in as he can. I am one of the crammed students.

I stepped inside his classroom. Mr. Meck sees me and grins at me. And it's one of those infectious ones, so I can't help but smile back. He reminds me of one of those really adorable grandfathers, but he doesn't look old enough to be one. He looks about mid forties, and his blond hair is only just beginning to grey.

"Good morning, Ada," he says, "Go ahead and pick a seat wherever you'd like, we have about ten minutes until the bell rings. Pull out a pencil and paper, we're doing notes today."

I stumble through the squished desks to the back corner of the room, picking the corner seat and placing my backpack in the seat next to me. Nobody likes sitting next to me anyway, so I have nothing to worry about when it comes to wasting a chair. Then I pull out a pencil and paper and wait for the bell to ring.

Students begin filing in, picking seats and chattering with their friends. Soon it feels claustrophobic and hot, so I start doodling little flowers on the top left corner of my paper until the bell finally screams.

Two giggling girls race into the room and pick seats before Mr. Meck can start speaking. And he doesn't seem to mind so he ignores them and greets his class, welcoming them back to school, and he explains the assignment for today. He says he's just going to write down math problems and their solutions on the board in the front of the classroom, and that he just wants us to copy them down on our paper since it's the first day back to school.

All I'm thinking is 'Why do the best teachers have to teach the shittiest subjects?'

Twenty minutes into the class, someone unceremoniously shoves the door open, and it smacks the wall lightly due to the force. The sound is so unexpected that everyone looks up to see the cause of it.

A boy - well I wouldn't necessarily say boy, because he doesn't look like a child at all, but definitely someone of the male gender - is propping the door open with his foot and shoulder. I've never seen him before.

He's short, for a guy, probably about my height, but the way he holds himself so confidently, like he'd willingly knock someone out if they say something wrong, makes up for that completely. He is lean, muscles beautifully built, from what I can see through the black t-shirt he is wearing. His face seems to glow, its complexion clear and very pale against his ebony black hair and steely grey eyes. And those eyes have a veil over them. Hiding true emotion with the image of boredom.

And I am so... mesmerized by this stranger.

Mr. Meck smiles at him from the board, his marker never leaving the smooth white surface, but he still meets the boy's eyes and says, "You must be Levi Ackerman."

I raise an eyebrow at the last name. It's the same as Mikasa's. Levi nods and steps completely inside the room, letting the wooden door close softly. For some reason I still can't take my eyes off him, and I feel stupid because I've never gone all googly eyed over a guy before, like most girls my age. Yet here I am, my eyes glued to his every movement.

Mr. Meck puts the cap back on his marker and takes Levi's schedule when it's offered to him to check if Levi is in the right classroom. Mr. Meck smiles again and confirms that he is.

"You can go take a seat next to Ada, in the corner, Levi," Mr. Meck says.

I force my eyes back down to my paper, snapped out of my daze when my teacher says this, a faint blush of embarrassment on my cheek bones as Levi shuffles through the desks until he reaches mine - no, _ours._

Then he picks up my backpack and tosses it at me, and my embarrassment is replaced with minor annoyance. I catch my backpack and look at him. Neither of us say anything, because it's like if we did we'd be breaking a rule to some unspoken game. But our eyes speak.

His say, 'I don't give a fuck if you get mad.'

And mine reply, 'Neither do I.'

And for not even half of a second, I see a spark of interest through the mask of nothingness. But then he sits, and we are both copying down math problems and their answers on our paper.

* * *

I let out a long sigh as I plop down on the couch in my livingroom. Mikasa and Eren follow suit. Our backpacks are stacked in a little pyramid next to the couch.

Eren lazily rolls off of the couch with a groan, and puts _The Lion King_ in the DVD player, switching on the television as well. His phone is in his hand as he sits back down.

"Is Armin coming over?" Mikasa asks.

Eren presses the play button on the remote, and blows his long brown bangs out of his face with a long breath, then answers with a shrug. Mikasa scoots closer to me and starts casually playing with my hair. The feeling of her fingers lightly tugging on my hair is soothing.

"Honestly he's probably already studying his ass off," Eren mutters after a few minutes of the movie playing, the part where the monkey is holding up the baby lion on a rock above a bunch of other animals.

"Go over and get him then, dummkopf," I say, "It's the beginning of the year, we don't really have to worry til second semester."

"But I just sat back down and the movie is just starting," Eren whines.

"I don't care."

"Fine."

Eren stands again, stretching and yawning, and sighing in relief when his back pops, before crossing the room and opening the door. He sticks his tongue out at me before leaving to retrieve his friend, who thankfully just lived right across the street. Mikasa's eyes are following his actions. Her fingers are still subconsciously playing with the small tangles in my hair, removing them gently so that my hair is soft.

"You look like a puppy, you know," I say after awhile.

Mikasa snaps out her trance, blushing faintly. Then she meets my gaze and smiles.

"It's not like that," she says.

"Tch. Sure it's not."

We both look out the window now. She's looking at Armin's house, watching as the front door opens and Eren emerges with Armin trailing after him. But I've found a different target to gawk at.

Levi Ackerman, the guy I so stupidly always seem to stare at, is getting out of a midnight blue Volvo, which is parked in the driveway of a house just across the street to mine.

So he moved there? Strange.

"Mikasa," I say, remembering the thing about their matching surnames, "Do you know him?"

Her eyes follow where mine are looking, and hers narrow. Her fingers stop their movements in my hair, which is now tangle-free. Her entire face twists into a look of pain, and other emotions. My curiosity is sparked now.

"What is it?" I ask gently, checking to see what the boys were doing, grateful when I noticed that Eren was teasing Armin, who was speaking graphically about something - probably manga or schoolwork - excitedly. Mikasa and I should have some time to talk.

"You remember what I told you about Kenny?" she says. She is quieter than usual.

I nod. One time at a sleepover a few years back, she told me about how her father used to sexually abuse her, and worse. He was also involved in a gang, and drugs of course. He is just a bad person.

"Well, Rivaille, Levi," she continues - I raise an eyebrow at the French translation of Levi, " was his adoptive son. Kenny made us both do horrible things. That's all I'll say for now."

I take her hand and squeeze it. She squeezes back.

"Are you going to try to talk to him at school?" I ask.

"No, we haven't spoken for years, and I don't want to start just yet."

Armin and Eren enter the house, laughing loudly. And when I look back out the window, Rivaille, or Levi, is already inside his house.


	3. Chapter 3

Three long months have passed, and the weather has turned ice cold and unforgiving as December comes. Today has chosen to be particularly unbearable, and my warm bed is much more appealing than freezing my ass off getting to school, so when my alarm goes off I slam it silent and close my eyes again.

Eventually Eren comes into my room complaining about how I'm supposed to wake up before him and be ready by now. And when I grunt and burrow deeper into my blankets, he rips them off of me and leaps into bed with me. His legs straddle my hips and he starts tickling my ribs until I'm howling with laughter and tears run down my cheeks. After that he giggles and darts away before I can recover from the attack.

I let out a long sigh and finally roll out of my now cold bed. Pull on a white long sleeve shirt and black pants, slide into my black leather jacket, shoes, and backpack. Then, after applying a light coat of mascara - as per the usual - I walk slowly and menacingly down the stairs so Eren knows what's coming. But when I growl and round the corner into the kitchen, I'm only met with two tired parents who inform me Eren left about five minutes ago.

I want to scream. But instead I exchange sentiments and leave.

The walk up the street is long and cold without Eren to talk to. I hug myself, grateful for the warmth my jacket supplies. I'm staring at my shoes, deep in thought, when the sound of a car pulling up to me interrupts my silent brooding. I glance to my left swiftly to see who it is, or see if I'm imagining things. And through the window of a dark Volvo my eyes are met with Rivaille Ackerman's steel ones, causing me to nearly leap out of my skin.

He rolls down the window and speaks.

"Do you want a ride?"

I pull my arms tighter against my chest and challenge him just for the amusement of his irritation. "You realize the school is right around the corner, right?"

"You realize it's 28 degrees out, right?" he replies.

I shrug and step towards his car. Before I reach it he leans over and opens it for me. I duck inside and he rolls the window up, and almost immediately I'm surrounded by the warmth of the air, which causes me to let out a sigh of relief, and my arms to loosen their hold around my ribs. I instantly notice how clean the car is, and I take extra care not to seem disgusting in any way. Honestly I feel intimidated, and I've never felt that way before. But I don't show it.

Needless to say the ride is uncomfortable and silent. And when he parks I nearly jump out of the car and start walking to class. Levi locks his car and follows two steps behind. I see Eren with Armin and Mikasa when I enter the school, he's right in front of the door. But a devilish grin ghosts on his face and he darts away with Armin trailing after him before I can hand his ass to him.

Mikasa stays, her eyes locked with mine, she looks confused. And then I remember Levi's presence and I shake my head. The action says, 'I'll tell you later." She nods and follows the boys.

"So you and Eren are twins?" Levi breaks the silence with his monotonous voice when Mr. Meck's class is about 5 steps away. I sneak a glance at him.

"Fraternal, yes," I reply.

He hums and we enter the class and I shuffle in front of him to our desk. My face turns maroon when I stumble over a chair leg, but I compose myself before I sit down.

Mr. Meck smiles and greets us, then starts the lesson, and I pretend to sit attentively when in reality my mind is exploring other things. I am completely zoned out for about fifteen minutes, before a note being placed under my fingertips surprises me, and I after jumping I unfold it and read the neat script.

You have a hard time focusing, don't you?

I let out a 'tch' of minor annoyance and glance at Levi. And there it is in his eyes, confirmation. The note is from him.

And you have a problem with acting not like you're 12 years old, don't you? Why are we writing notes, is this middle school?

I toss the note back unceremoniously and begin to actually work. A few moments later, it's thrown back, and for some unknown reason I allow the conversation on paper continue.

L: He was just having us write math notes again. If you'd like, and if you don't completely fucking trash my notes, you can copy mine.

Me: Why are you being nice? We never talk, this is literally the first genuine interaction we've had, and you don't seem like the 'nice guy' type.

L: Because I've noticed you're different from the other brats at this school. And you're right, I'm not the nice guy type, so don't take this attempt of politeness lightly.

Me: Stop acting like you're a total badass, and I won't take it lightly.

L: I don't have to act, you know.

I chuckle and fold the note up, tucking it under my leg to signal I'm done writing. Glance at Levi and notice the furrow between his eyes is slight now. Well, for a moment, at least.

"I have a homework assignment for you and your partner," Mr. Meck's says.

The furrow in Levi's brow is back in full as we look at our teacher.

"Now, don't worry, it's simple, and honestly it's just because I don't know what I want you guys to do, this class is so good," Mr. Meck continues before any groans of disappointment can sound around the classroom. Instead, faint laughter is heard, and the atmosphere loses tension.

He explains that he wants us to go on our school math website and create a t-shirt pattern to print out at home and bring to school so that he can print it onto a t-shirt, and that we're supposed to work on it with our desk partner and print the same design on our shirt.

"The assignment is due... ah screw it, just by the end of this week," Mr. Meck continues, "Have a good day."

And a moment after he finishes speaking, the bell screams loudly.

"Come with me after school and we'll work on the assignment at my house," Levi says before tossing his belongings into his bag and standing. He steals a glance at me, then walks out of the classroom.

After school, I wait by Levi's car. He doesn't take long, and when he appears he has a frown on his face. When we duck inside of his car and I question him, he replies that the school bathroom is completely disgusting, and I agree with a quiet laugh.

He rounds the corner and pulls into his driveway, locking the doors after I situate my backpack and climb out. Then I follow him inside his home, gaping slightly when I see it's even cleaner and neater than his car.

"I wish my family was as clean as you and yours, then my house might actually look good," I comment.

He smirks and leads me up wooden stairs with white carpet in the center. We round another corner that comes in view immediately after topping the stairs, and he opens a door to a moderate sized bedroom.

Dark wood that doesn't creak under my feet once, and walls as white as clouds. There's a built in mirror to my left, big enough only to show a Levi sized person. A king sized bed with blue blankets and white pillows resides in the corner, with a mahogany nightstand, and a closet is parallel to it.

"I'm gonna go grab my laptop and printer, you can just... whatever," Levi says. I notice his shoulders are hunched, which indicates he's as timid as I am about this. But I just shake the thought from my mind and cross the room to sit on his bed and shrug my backpack off and toss it to the corner of the mattress. Then I knot my fingers together and wait for him to return.

Soon he does, carrying a small black printer in one arm and a folded grey laptop in the other. He sets the laptop in my lap without a word and plugs in the printer, and after turning the laptop in my lap to face him, he opens the math website. And we begin working together.

Minutes passing turn to hours, and the sky turns to a grey smokey color outside. It might sound ridiculous, considering we were only designing a little thing to go on the breast pocket of two white shirts ( which we agreed to buy later ), but we were both stubborn and both create a debate about every idea offered. But eventually we come to a compromise on a simple black design that looks like a dragon with swirly yet sharp lines crisscrossing around it.

I groan and stand, stretching my back and my legs, then glance out his window.

"I think I'm going to head back now," I say hesitantly, suddenly uncomfortable at how long I'd been at his house.

"Okay," he says nonchalantly. But it doesn't sound like 'okay'. It just sounds like the letter, k.

I roll my eyes and grab my belongings, awkwardly saying goodbye and leaving his house. When I step into my own I am bombarded with questions from Eren.

"Why didn't you kill me?", "Are you going to kill me?", "Where were you? I was looking for you after school."

And when I manage to explain where I was and that I was too lazy to kill him, he just got a confused look on his face. Maybe the fact that I am socializing and not wanting to murder him fucked him up in the head.

So I just flash a small half smile to confuse him even more, and then walk past him, up the stairs, and into my room.

When I reach my bed, I sit crosslegged on the end, facing my window, and look through it to Levi's. And I am thinking today was a good day. Strange, awkward, tense, annoying as well. But also, good. 


	4. Chapter 4

**I apologize for not staying updated. I hope this chapter is long enough to cover up for that.**

* * *

The next morning is a Friday, which is definitely a relief. I wake up a minute before my alarm has the chance to go off, and when it does I silence it quickly. I continue the morning with my routine. Brush hair, apply mascara, put on my jacket and shoes, and go downstairs with my backpack slung nonchalantly over one shoulder.

Today I am met with a surprise, though. My father is in the kitchen, sipping on black coffee and leaning against the island counter. When our eyes meet, I know his purpose is to speak with me before other ears are present.

"What's up?' I ask before he can speak.

"I need to talk to you about something," he starts, but doesn't continue for a moment.

"That bit was obvious, what do you need to talk to me about?"

"We need to have a little chat about your friend Levi," he says.

An anxious feeling creeps into my gut, followed by curiosity.

"I assume you know who his adoptive father is?"

I nod when he looks at me, waiting for a response. The question was not rhetorical.

"I just want you to know who it is you're making friends with. Now, I am not saying Levi is a bad kid, I am just saying there is a lot more depth to his past than you may imagine," he says, "And if possible, I would like for you to avoid speaking with him."

"Dad, to start off, there is a lot more depth to a lot of people than any other person can imagine. That's a lesson Eren and I learned a long time ago," I say, narrowing my eyes, which causes his posture to shift uncomfortably. "And to end with, I'm not saying this because I am his friend, but you cannot tell me who not to hang around anymore, that hasn't been the rule for awhile now."

"I'm well aware of that, Ada, but -"

"What are you guys talking about?" Eren's tired voice comes from the stairs. He emerges from the hallways and nearly walks into me in his exhausted state.

"Cereal," I say, walking to the cabinets to my right and pulling him down a bowl for his breakfast.

"Why would you-"

"Shut up and eat some so we can leave," I interupt his question, handing him the bowl.

He does shut up and eat. I sit next to him the whole time, and pay close attention to the milk swirling in his bowl like it's the most intriguing thing in the world to avoid my father's gaze. If I meet his eyes they will say that we need to continue the conversation later, but I don't want to.

As Eren and I leave and begin walking to school, I continue to think about what my dad was trying to say. The curiosity is beginning to eat away at my brain. Maybe I will ask Mikasa more about Kenny and Levi this weekend.

The sound of a somewhat familiar car pulling up next to me grabs my attention. I look to my left, and again, Levi is staring at me through the window of his Volvo. He jerks his head in a gesture that means 'get in'. I glance at Eren - who is looking at me anxiously - and back, and Levi does it again. Eren is still giving me a look. Dad probably talked to him about Levi, fed him with accurate and inaccurate information. Probably told him to stay away from Levi. And Eren probably wants to go along with it, no doubt he is afraid of Levi, dark and quiet as he seems. But I am not Eren.

"Come on," I say to Eren.

I slide into the passenger's seat, and Eren gets into the seat behind me. The heat surrounds my body like yesterday morning, instantly relaxing me. Nobody says anything. The only sound is the sound of the car moving swiftly along the road, turning the corner, and pulling up the the school.

When we pull into the school's parking lot, Eren leaps out faster than I do. He gives Levi a strange look, and when he looks at me I see concern. My eyebrows furrow with irritation. Why does everyone seem to have a problem with Levi? How does everyone know him so well when I only met him a few weeks ago? Why do I almost feel like I should defend Levi? I shake my head at Eren as he walks towards the school, irritated for the questions his look caused me to have, then follow him. Levi keeps pace with me, but still no words are spoken. We walk into class a few moments before the bell rings. Mr. Meck smiles at us both. Thankfully, I don't trip over a chair leg today.

Levi seems deeper in thought than usual today. I almost decide to ask him what's on his mind, but I remind myself it's not my place, and leave him to silently brood. At the end of the class, though, I thank him for giving my brother and I a ride. He shrugs it off and mumbles 'My pleasure' under his breath, a very unsubtle note of sarcasm in his voice. I nearly ask him again, but then mentally shake myself. He is not my concern or my business. He just drives me to school and returns my bad attitude full throttle. That is the extent of our relationship, as of now.

My classes are a blur today. I can't seem to focus on anything. I do assignments with the half of my brain working, rushing through the hours, until lunch. As soon as I sit down at the table that I seem to have been assigned at by Eren and his crazy friends, a weight is momentarily lifted off of my shoulders. Even when said crazy friends and brother arrive, I still feel better. I've known these kids since freshmen year, thanks to Eren, but they still drive me crazy sometimes.

There's Sasha - who is a little bit frighteningly obsessed with food -, her boyfriend Connie, Ymir and her girlfriend Christa, Marco, Jean, Armin, Mikasa, Reiner, Annie, Bertolt, and Thomas. The only ones I've become particularly fond of are Armin and Mikasa.

Everyone is acting their usual selves at lunch. Sasha and Connie have gotten into another argument about how much money Connie has spent on Sasha's food, Ymir is getting possessive of Christa, and I am getting a head ache. I glance across the cafeteria, and sure enough, who is staring back? Oh, right. Fucking Levi Ackerman. I feel a sudden rush of what can only be described as frustration, and the only excuse I can come up with for why I feel this way is because of the conversation I had with my dad this morning, and the annoying looks of 'concern' from my brother, so I look back down at my half eaten ham sandwich and don't look up again until the bell rings.

 _Only two more classes, and I get to be free._ I think to myself.

My next class is art with Mrs. Smith. She's a decent teacher, so long as you turn in your work on time. I have it with the girl Ymir. Sometimes she walks with me to class, and I don't mind it because she's usually as quiet as I am, unless she's high. Today she walks with me. She reminds me of my family. Tall, tan, dark hair.

We walk into class together and then separate to different sides of the room, sit in our assigned seats, and wait for the bell to ring. As soon as it does, I have to fight the urge to lay my head in my arms and close my eyes. I just want to go home or sleep. Preferably both.

Today's lesson is just about angles and shading, which I already know about. Courtesy of my mother. She taught me how to draw simple things when I was younger, and now I have a knack for it. After we go over the basics a few times, we're instructed to pull out a straight edge and a pencil, and to draw a teddy bear sitting in the corner of a room.

The image pops into my head immediately, and I set off to work. I get so engrossed in the project that I tune everything out for a good thirty minutes. Including the girl I sit next to. I pause to stretch my hand and wrist out when I finally notice she's been looking over my shoulder for awhile. She's so close I can smell the bubblegum on her breath. I clear my throat and glance at her.

She jumps slightly and smiles at me. Her smile is so genuine and apologetic that I don't have a moment to be annoyed.

I take in her features for the first time, after three weeks of sitting next to her, I never really paid attention to how pretty she is. She's got fair skin, with a natural blush on her cheekbones. Her hair is honey colored, and her big eyes are the same color. Her nose is small and cute, and there's a single freckle on the bridge of it, slightly off center. She notices me looking and smiles again.

"Your drawing is really good. Did you learn how to draw like that in this class?" she says.

I snort and shake my head. "No, I was taught a long time ago. How is yours coming along?"

She angles her paper towards me. And it's not bad. I give her a few tips.

"So what year are you in?" she asks, after editing a few things on her drawing.

"Junior. You?"

"Same, but I should be a senior. I got held back," she giggles.

It seems unlikely, because she seems like the type to not necessarily be all goody goody, but at least pay attention in class.

"So, you know Levi, right?" she asks.

"Yeah," I say, "we have math together. We're working on a shirt together."

She nods slowly in acknowledgment.

"I know we just started talking, but would you possibly want to meet me at the side of the school after last period gets out?" she asks after another few moments of quiet.

"Um, sure."

"Cool, meet me out by the gymnasium window. My name is Petra, by the way."

"I'm Ada."

She smiles again, and the bell rings.

* * *

After school I tell Eren I'm going to stay for awhile. He doesn't ask questions for once, which surprises me, and then mumbles something about hanging out with Mikasa, with a noticeable pink blush on his face. We hug, and then he's walking home and I'm walking around the side of the school. I'm kind of nervous that Petra won't be there. But when I round the corner, she's there. There are three boys and another girl standing next to her as well. I straighten my back and cross my arms over my chest as I approach them. Petra smiles at me when I get closer.

"Hey, Ada, glad you could make it," she says, "This is Eld, Gunther, Olou, and Hanji."

Eld has small brown eyes and long blond hair, parted in the middle with a bun folded at the back. He also has as small beard. His face seems serious, but his eyes smile in greeting. Gunther has dark brown hair, slicked back into a point with gel, and his skin is olive. He is grinning mischievously, which gives me the impression he likes to joke around more than the others. Olou has a much older appearance than the others, with pronounced wrinkles on his face despite the implication that he is high school aged like the rest of us. His hair is short and slightly curly. Hanji has long dark brown hair tied up in a pony tail with her bangs parted down the middle. Square, thick-rimmed glasses sit on her nose. She has wide brown eyes, with golden flecks in them, and a wide smile appears on her face at the sight of me.

"Hi. So what are you guys doing exactly?" I ask.

"Well, at the moment, we're waiting for someone to show up," Olou says. His voice seems forcefully nonchalant, like he's trying to sound cool or careless. And there's a hint of snobbiness in the tone.

"Alright."

"Yeah, we were actually planning on going to Denny's for some lunch, if you want to come with," Petra adds.

"And if you have money to pay for yourself," Olou adds with a snort.

"Of course I do," I mutter.

"Hey, look he's finally coming," Petra says, interrupting what could have become tension.

I turn to see who _he_ is, and almost regret it. It's Levi. I should have known, what with Petra asking about him earlier. I don't know why I'm so bothered by seeing him. I was fine with him this morning when he drove me to school, and I'm not as concerned with what my dad said as Eren is, but my stomach prickles with discomfort when I see him.

"Leeviiiii!" Hanji yells, throwing her arms into the air and walking quickly towards him.

"Don't touch me, four-eyes," Levi mumbles. Olou lets out a snicker.

"Alright, let's go," Petra says.

She winks at me as she passes me, and I'm so confused that for a moment I can't move. But I follow them. They're all piling into a silver minivan. I follow behind Petra, somewhat hesitantly. The minivan, being driven by Eld, pulls out of the school parking lot, and heads towards the closest Denny's.

The whole group is conversing and laughing freely, and I wonder how long they've known one another. Even Levi, who is sitting up in the passenger's seat, has the faintest smile on his face. He seems more at ease around these people.

A few minutes later, we stop at Denny's. Everyone shifts and moves unceremoniously out of the van. I could have sworn someone touched my ass on the way out, but I pay no mind to it. I pull my wallet out of my backpack before I leave it in the van.

A waitress directs us to a booth, and I'm assuming these guys are regulars here, because the waitress jokes about keeping their spot saved for them, and then asks them if they want their regulars. After they all confirm her question, she looks to me, and I order spaghetti with meatballs and a doctor pepper.

"So," Levi begins when our drinks arrive, "Why did you invite her, Petra?"

Petra swallows a mouthful of mountain dew before speaking, "'Cause she's cute and reminds me a bit of you. Plus you need to get more friends, loser."

Eld and Gunther chuckle. A faint smile appears on my lips.

"Tch. You think everyone's cute, Petra," Levi says.

"Well, she is," Hanji pipes up.

I clear my throat and tuck my hair behind my ear, then play around with the straw in my drink. Everyone laughs, except Levi.

"She's blushing," Hanji says in a sing song voice.

"Stop pestering her, guys," Petra giggles.

The waitress returns, then. Our food is placed in front of us, and I pretend to be engrossed with my spaghetti and meatballs.

"So, tell us about you, Ada," Petra says.

I swallow. "Like what?"

"I don't care. Are your parents divorced? Is your mother dead? Give me something."

"My parents are together," I say, somewhat uncomfortable with the subject of my parents' relationship, "My mother is alive."

"Alright, alright, um. Were you born in Germany?"

"Yeah, but I never lived there for very long. We moved to America when I was 8."

"Interesting, I was just wondering because your accent is so distinct, still," Petra's eyes are sparked with interest.

"Yeah, I was determined not to lose it. And I'm around my parents most of the time, so it hasn't really left. My brother, Eren, has lost it a lot."

"Cool. Levi is French. You guys are like, neighbors," Petra snickers.

"Können Sie sprechen fließend Deutsch?" Levi asks.

My eyes shift to his, surprised at how easily he spoke German.

"Natürlich kann ich," I reply.

"Ich habe mich nur dafür, dass Sie lügen nicht."

I nod in acknowledgment.

"Um, can you guys please speak English?" Petra says.

"He was just asking if I spoke fluent German," I summarize.

She lets out a 'hm' noise as she takes a bite of food, raising an eyebrow at Levi. He rolls his eyes in return to their silent language. I avert my eyes from everyone again, and return to staring at my spaghetti. When it's time to leave, I leave enough money to cover for myself, and a five dollar tip for the waitress, even though Petra says I don't need to leave her a tip.

When we get in the van, I tell Eld he doesn't have to drop me off at home because I live so close to the school, but Levi leans over and whispers something, and we are in front of my house.

"Thanks for bringing me, guys," I say.

"Yeah, no problem, sweetie. See you later," Petra says, smiling.

Eld waits until I get the door to my house open, and I wave to them as they drive away. When I get inside I check the time on the microwave - 5:59 - before dashing up the stairs. I stop outside of Eren's door.

"Hey, Eren, ask Mikasa to come over again, yeah?"

"Yeah, sure. Give me a minute."

"Okay."

I walk into my room and sit with my legs crossed on my bed and wait for Mikasa. I need to ask her some questions about Kenny and Rivaille.


End file.
